Erzerum

Erzerum, a city of Turkish Armenia, 100 miles S.W. of Trebizond, forming the chief outpost against the Russians in that direction. The town consists of a central, strongly-walled citadel, and surrounding suburbs. There are many mosques, Armenian churches, bazaars, and caravanserais, and the streets are, for the most part, narrow and squalid. There are many manufactures of copper and iron goods, and the position of the town on the great roads between E. and W. leads to considerable trade. The inhabitants are chiefly Turks, Armenians, and Persians. There was a fortress here in the time of Theodosius. It became Turkish in 1517, and in 1829 was taken by the Russians, who again besieged it and held it for a time in 1877-78. In 1895 it was the scene of a massacre of Armenians by ths Turks.